Shear Behavior of CFRP Prestressed Concrete T-Beams

This paper contributes to the scarce research available regarding the shear behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prestressed concrete beams. The beams were subjected to four-point bending and tested with different shear span to depth (a/d) ratios of 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5, with and without transverse reinforcement. For each group of four beams, two were reinforced with minimum required glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) stirrups according to the Canadian highway bridge design code. The results showed that the flexural rigidity and the shear capacity of the beams increase significantly as the a/d ratio is reduced to 1.5 from 2.5. The data also showed that the minimum required GFRP stirrups are ineffective in beams with a/d=1.5 that are governed by arch action. The experimental results are compared to theoretical estimates from the shear formulas available in design codes and literature.